What it costs to fix
Your bidsInsurance pays for the water damage, but you pay to fix whatever leaked either way, so it counts on both sides.
Does it remove everything that got wet, or only what looks damaged?
Your policy
Declarations pageWhat a claim does to your premium
Market ranges$0 a month for 4 years
A single claim usually raises a premium 7–10% for 3–5 years. Premiums tend to rise anyway, so this counts only the extra a claim adds.
Why the deductible does not move Typically, your deductible is the same whatever the repair costs.
Say a wall needs drywall and paint. A handyman patches it, blends the color as close as he can, and charges $200. Through a claim, the room usually gets painted wall to wall, because the repair has to match what's there and a patched wall rarely does.
Typically, your deductible is the same whatever the repair costs.
It isn't free. You pay for it through the premium increase, which the numbers above already include.
Where each one wins Paying cash keeps the claim off your record. Filing usually pays for more of the repair.
| Cash | Claim | |
|---|---|---|
| Drying | Depends who does it | ✅To the IICRC S500 standard |
| Your premium | ✅Untouched | Likely up 8% for 4 years |
| Your record | ✅Nothing filed | Seven years on CLUE |
| Flooring | Patch the wet area | ✅Often replaced to the nearest doorway |
| Belongings | You pay | ✅Covered, to a limit |
| Somewhere to stay | You pay | ✅Covered if unlivable |
| Hidden damage discovered | You pay for the extra work (a change order) | ✅Insurance pays for the extra work (a supplement) |
The last row matters most, because nobody can price what's behind a wall until it's open.
Before you call anyone Asking can count as filing, and canceling does not erase it.
- Asking can count as filing
- Some insurers log a call asking about coverage as a claim, even if nothing gets paid. Your deductible and limits are on your declarations page, so read them there before you call your agent or your insurer.
- Canceling does not erase it
- If you open a claim and then withdraw it, it still shows on CLUE and insurers still count it. Withdrawing keeps your deductible in your pocket, but the record stays. Run the numbers before you call.
- Claims follow you and the house
- A claim goes on CLUE, the claims database insurers share, for seven years. It's tied to your name and to the address, so the next insurer you apply with sees it, and so does whoever insures the house after you sell.
Keep the paperwork Water damage you can't document can cost you when you sell.
Keep the moisture logs, the invoices, and the before-and-after photos.
Sellers generally have to disclose known water damage, though the rules vary by state. A file showing the leak was found, dried, and repaired answers the questions a buyer's lender and insurer will ask.
Ask your contractor for the drying log as well as the invoice. If they can't produce one, they didn't measure.